Joseph Baena was welcomed through an affair that caused a huge rift between his father, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and his family. The actor took accountability for his actions and accepted his love child into his life, and now, the two share a very close father-son bond.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, former US President John F. Kennedy’s niece, were married for over 30 years. The award-winning journalist and author’s parents are Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver.
Arnold and his wife were happy in their marriage for a long time and welcomed four children before things fell apart in 2011. The former couple had a maid who looked after their children and home for about 20 years.
During the couple’s marriage, their helper and the “Twins” star became intimately involved and welcomed a child: Joseph Baena. After his birth, Maria kept her son a secret from the actor’s wife and his half-siblings, with reports revealing the Schwarzenegger family saw Joseph and his mother as family friends.
As Joseph grew, his resemblance to the legendary star became more obvious, and after the secret of his existence broke out, Arnold’s family was torn apart. In the aftermath, the “Terminator” actor maintained a solid bond with his children and ex-wife, but Joseph’s half-siblings allegedly rejected him.
It’s been reported that Joseph wished for a relationship with all his half-siblings; however, some haven’t returned his efforts or the desire to have one. While that part of his life is still on the mend, Joseph’s multi-faceted career and relationship with Arnold continue to flourish.
Joseph Is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Secret Son
Joseph drew his first breath on October 2, 1997, and was raised alongside his sister, Jackie Baena. Being 26 as of this year, he is forging a promising path for himself. He graduated with a business degree from Pepperdine University in 2019 and started working as a Real Estate Agent for Aria Properties.
Arnold’s son mainly deals with properties in West Los Angeles and Silicon Beach. Joseph also followed in his father’s bodybuilding footsteps, as his Instagram posts suggested, and sometimes trained with the legendary actor.
Moreover, the young man is dabbling in acting as he starred in the sci-fi comedy film, “The Chariot.” Pertaining to his love life, Joseph was romantically involved with a college sweetheart, Nicky Dodaj.
The timeline of the pair’s relationship is unclear, but they showed their love often on social media. However, in November 2020, reports said the couple’s relationship faltered. By May 2021, the duo had cleansed their pages by removing one another’s images, and it isn’t clear where they stand.
As a young boy, Joseph’s father and family lived in the Pacific Palisades. Mildred Baena, his mother, worked for them as their helper, but as he grew older and started looking like Arnold, Maria’s suspicions were aroused.
The actor’s wife confronted their maid about her son, and Mildred confessed everything. In January 2011, the public found out the truth when the affair was revealed, causing Maria to separate from her husband that same year and, in 2021, they divorced.
Arnold and the journalist maintained a good relationship so they could continue co-parenting, with the actor’s sons reportedly accepting Joseph. However, his daughters didn’t appear to have forgiven their father’s actions and left their half-brother out of sibling appreciation posts and family gatherings.
Joseph mainly remained unaware of who his father was until Arnold’s infidelity with Mildred was publicized. In a 2017 interview, the actor said his child with Mildred understood how intense the situation was regardless of how difficult it was for him.
Katherine & Christina’s Relationship With Joseph Baena
Arnold’s daughters, Katherine and Christina, reportedly rejected Joseph and didn’t consider him a part of their family. In 2019, when Katherine married Chris Pratt, she didn’t invite him. She also left him out of family gatherings and didn’t share photos of him but regularly posted those of her other siblings.
During the same year she and the “Guardians Of The Galaxy” star – the two were set up by her mother – got married, Katherine paid tribute to National Siblings Day with a throwback Instagram post dedicated to Christina, Patrick, and Christopher. Pratt’s wife upset some of her social media fans, who disapproved of the snub against Joseph.
One of Katherine’s social media followers thought there was a better and more acceptable reason for her behavior. The fan thought Arnold’s daughter and her sister weren’t ready to accept a “living reminder” of what had torn apart their happy family.
Despite being unable to attend his sister’s wedding, Joseph commented under one of the wedding photos she shared, leaving sweet congratulatory words for the then-newlyweds. He did the same for the rest of his siblings’ social media posts, but the gesture is yet to be returned.
In October 2023, Joseph showed his father some love and support when the actor released his self-help book or memoir, “Be Useful: Seven Tools For Life.” Taking to his Instagram Stories, he shared a photo of himself holding the book and congratulated Arnold on the amazing book!
Patrick & Christopher’s Relationship with Joseph Baena
Patrick and Christopher haven’t been open about their relationship with Joseph, but it’s been reported that they regularly spend time together outside the public eye. That was until 2021, when Patrick and Joseph were seen working out together and were later joined by Joseph’s girlfriend, Nicky.
It was the first time they’d been seen together in public since 2011. Some sources have speculated that Patrick and Christopher were getting to know Joseph as a brother rather than an old family friend. To prevent Maria or their sisters from getting upset, the due chose to keep their bond with Joseph from social media.
Joseph hasn’t spoken about his seemingly strained relationship with his father’s daughters. But from his behavior online – he follows all his half-siblings on social media – and Arnold’s words, he may be doing his best from a distance.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Joseph’s Relationship
When news of his infidelity broke out, Arnold didn’t only take accountability for his actions, but he also formed a tight bond with Joseph. Eventually, the pair was able to “joke about everything,” but initially, Joseph was nervous about building a relationship with his father since he’d spent most of his life with his mother.
But they eventually connected and formed a strong foundation of communication where Arnold listened to his son and gave him relationship advice from time to time. Regarding his last name, Joseph felt more comfortable with “Baena” and more inclined to make his mark while carrying it.
Still, Arnold couldn’t be more proud of him. The actor even attended Joseph’s graduation in 2019. When When asked who were the first people he called when he received good news, Joseph lovingly mentioned his mother and father.
Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Los Angeles premiere of Netflix’s “FUBAR” on May 22, 2023, in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
In May 2023, Arnold had a premiere for his show “FUBAR” and invited Joseph and the rest of his children. The actor and his children posed together for red carpet photos while Joseph was left to stand alone with a social media user lamenting that the star’s son was being “totally ignore[d]” and avoided by his half-siblings.
Chris Pratt, and Katherine, Arnold, and Christina Schwarzenegger at the Los Angeles premiere of Netflix’s “FUBAR” on May 22, 2023, in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
A source who knew Arnold said he and Joseph “are very close,” but the young man’s half-siblings don’t love him. The insider said it is a shame because he is a good guy whom their father treated the same as them, adding:
“But for whatever reason, the other kids take [the affair] out on Joe.”
Joseph Baena atthe Los Angeles premiere of Netflix’s “FUBAR” on May 22, 2023, in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
Luckily, even though Joseph didn’t have the love and support of his siblings, he had someone else in his corner – his mother. Other than appearing in her son’s posts, Arnold’s former helper doesn’t like the limelight much.
Joseph’s Mother Lives outside of the Spotlight
Mildred remained largely outside the spotlight since her infidelity with her former employer was aired. Joseph’s mother worked for the Schwarzenegger family from the early 1990s before resigning immediately after confessing her affair to Maria.
In 2017, however, her son revealed in a sweet congratulatory post that she graduated from culinary school. Joseph’s mother has previously appeared on his social media posts whipping up something delicious with him in the kitchen.
